"What do you wish of us, your highness?" Ranash rubbed his fingers together nervously behind his back. What was she thinking? It could be anything. He caught the eye of Admiral Vespash on his right and Admiral Kelkish on his left. His brother gave a confident nod. Kelkish let nothing on at all. Ranash was not convinced. He had been around the new Empress a good deal more than his brother, and had a good deal more to do with her... what would the phrase be? He decided to use "rise to power".
The Empress stood now in her favored position of power: her back to them, staring into the stars. Her stars. Ranash began to sweat. It was times like these where he realized just how dangerous Azulana could be: when she mirrored her predecessor, the evil Palpatine.
"What do I wish of you? I wish your complete loyalty. I wish your complete obedience. I wish your wisdom exceeded your power. But I realize these all might be difficult for men of your position so early. Am I correct?"
Ranash was taken aback by this trap. He decided to let Vespash or Kelkish tackle this one.
"Your Highness is extraordinarily insightful in these matters. We try to hold to your high standards as best we can."
"No!" The Empress spun around, her eyes flaming. "You will not try, you will do! You will be entirely loyal, as you have been, have you not?"
Brown eyes glowed amber in her reprimand. Sweat dripped down the back of Ranash's neck. They had been so proud of those eyes, but now he wondered whether it had been a wise decision to grant her such charismatic power. Now she was testing them. Could she possibly know what they were up to? A glance at his brother showed him Vespash was faring little better.
"Your Majesty, we have been nothing but loyal to you from the day you came to power- and before that." A flat-out lie.
Her eyes narrowed, then shifted to the younger. "I want reports on you progress-"
"I had sent you mine only a few days ago, Empress." Ranash knew that his brother was simply falling deeper into the hole he was digging by his polite objections and flattery.
"I want a personal report."
Ranash. You have not spoken yet. How is your Jedi elimination project going?"
"Not as well as I had hoped, Your Highness," he admitted. Lying would get him nowhere. "I did manage to destroy the Jedi Master, but his apprentice continues to elude us."
"A child can hide better than an adult. If you managed to destroy the teacher so easily, perhaps these Jedi aren't as formidable as you made out?"
He looked down. "Perhaps I did overestimate them, but I believe it was dumb luck and favorable circumstances that allowed for the ease of his destruction. I will try not to make that mistake again, but I do not believe it was a mistake. I believe the apprentice is dangerous."
"Then catch this apprentice and don't waste my time! Now Kelkish, how is your Rebel problem coming along?"
"My Intelligence reports that the Rebels have disappeared from view entirely. I suspect that this is due to the fall of the Jedi Master, but my team is keeping their eyes open."
"No requests?"
"None, Your Majesty."
She turned on the eldest now. "Vespash."
"Highness?"
"How are your negotiations with your potential rebel sector?"
"Not as well as I had hoped, Highness."
She looked at him sharply. The fire in her eyes, almost quenched after the favorable discussion with Kelkish, began to ignite once again. "Have they turned aggressive?"
"I'm afraid it is leaning towards that."
"And your men were not the instigators in the slightest, indirect way?"
Ranash suppressed a smile. Vespash had not wanted to negotiate, his charges having insufficient firepower to present any serious threat. Reluctantly Vespash had given them a chance to negotiate, but he had not overly pressed the issue, and had instructed his men to 'secretly' destroy opposition. The government had caught wind of this and had begun to gear their economy to war. "Leaning towards" war was a bit of an understatement, and Vespash had a larger hand in it than he would ever admit to the Empress.
"No, your Majesty," he lied smoothly. He was, after all, a step above this woman. He had, in his own mind, made her everything she was. Ranash knew how literally that phrase could be used in this situation, but it was he and not Vespash who had done most of the "making."
The Empress turned away from him. "Are you certain? You did everything you could to keep peace?"
"Yes."
"I don't believe you." She whipped around, turning a wave of fury on the poor Admiral. "You lie!"
Vespash began to sweat.
Her expression turned icy. "I cannot have subjects who try to manipulate me." A gloved hand disappeared into her gown. "Now you will pay the price for your treachery."
Swifter then the wind she whirled around and held a tiny pistol to Vespash's horrified form. Within the space of a second he lay on the marble, dead.
Kelkish pressed a fist to his heart. Ranash could not have spoken if the cold Empress had ordered him. But she did not. She simply slipped the weapon back into her gown with professional indifference.
"I want all treacherous hearts to take this as a warning! I will not be controlled! Admiral Ranash, because of your emotional distress over your brother's demise, I temporarily give all of the late Vespash's control to Admiral Kelkish."
Ranash's mind clouded with a gripping terror. Did she know he was in league with Vespash? No, she couldn't have. But the icy cloud would not release his thoughts. His knees threatened to give way.
"I suspected that his allegiance was not to me." She told them. "I simply needed to wait until his actions condemned him." She flashed a cold glance in Ranash's direction. "I always find out. Traitorous feelins always betray the bearer. Always."
With a wave of a gloved hand she dismissed them. Kelkish allowed Ranash to stumble out first, more of an escape than an exit.
Once out of sight he leaned heavily against a wall, breathing hard and regaining his composure. The Empress was much better at this game then he bargained for. He was, quite possibly, in deep trouble.


Out of the black oblivion came a person. Luke. Jessi could se only the back of him, but she had no doubts who it was. He was running; running towards someone in the distance. Jessi involuntarily moved with him, even thought she had nothing to move. As the figure in the distance grew closer she saw it was Salmina, gesturing frantically for help. Luke was almost to her when he stumbled. As he fell he reached his hand out to her. She could only watch with shock etched on her face. Luke threw something and disappeared, leaving only Salmina standing in the blackness. Jessi started to walk to her, but just as she took a step a giant artificial hand came down and grabbed her, covering her whole body as she screamed for help. Then she was gone. Jessi was thinking dimly that Luke had a cybernetic hand when she became aware of a pressure on her shoulder. Panic started to creep into her heart when she realized she could not wake up. Why couldn't she? Then again, did she have to? Did it really matter whether she ever woke up or not? She remembered Luke reaching to Salmina and it struck her that he wasn't reaching out for her help, he was reaching to help her. There was a glimmer in the blackness. The object Luke had thrown. His lightsaber. The universal symbol of a Jedi. Jessi's had to make a decision, and fast. The lightsaber was moving away. She could use the Force to grab it and accept becoming a Jedi. But you're not fully trained, you're not ready, her mind told her. There are too many things you do not know. You will have to learn everything on her own. Accepting would mean risks, experiments, maybe even the Dark Side. Not only that, but fulfilling Luke's wish to find Salmina. She wasn't ready. She should just let it pass, and live her life like a normal human being. But then she remembered Luke's pleading eyes, and for a second felt his mind touch her. In that brief instant she realized she wouldn't be completely alone. He would stay in spirit as long as he could.
She raised her arm slowly and once again let herself go in the flow of the Force. It seemed stronger. She felt Luke's triumphant presence and could almost see his excited face coaxing her on and encouraging her. She brought the lightsaber to her hand and enclosed her fingers around the handle. She might be unsteady, and it would be tough, but she would try. For Salmina, for Luke, for the galaxy she would try. The Jedi would not die out just yet.

Muffled and distant sounds reached her from her body's ears. She had to get back. She felt pressure on her face some distance away, and concentrated on the sensation. Slowly she pulled herself back into her body, using the Force to help her along. She opened her eyes and blinked in the bright light. Leia and Han were standing over her looking both anxious and relieved.
"Hi," she murmured. "I'm so hungry I could eat a bantha." She tried to raise a finger in the air, found herself too weak, and lifted it with the Force instead. "Waiter, get me something to eat."
Leia sighed. "Oh thank goodness, it almost killed me not knowing if you would wake up or not."
Han grinned. "Welcome back kid, and if you ever do that to us again I'll fetch my blaster rifle and save us all that worry."